The investigation, which was confirmed by the Portuguese prosecution, shows that the young Portuguese intended to sell to the Russians information from both electronic devices, which he copied to a portable drive. The transaction did not take place.
What charges was brought against the detained man?
What hotel were the devices stolen from?
Who was the owner of the stolen computer?
Why was the detained man planning to sell data?
Behind the scenes of the arrest
According to investigators, a 23-year-old man stole a computer and an Apple tablet from one of the hotels in the Lisbon metropolitan area where officers of NATO countries were accommodated. Inspectors say that he was helped in the theft by two other people who were also under investigation.
During the investigation, it was determined that the stolen electronic devices belonged to a Swedish naval officer.
The statement published on Wednesday by the General Prosecutor's Office in Lisbon shows that the detained Portuguese has already been charged with, among other things, charges of attempted espionage, aggravated theft, using someone else's identity document, and submitting false testimony.
Additionally, the 23-year-old prisoner was also accused of possessing child pornography and falsely attributing participation in espionage to people unrelated to this practice.
According to the prosecutor's office, the theft, which occurred during an international conference on robotic experiments with unmanned systems at the Lisbon Maritime School, was commissioned to the Portuguese “by third parties.”
